Senate Tax Hikes Hit the House Wall

Kansas House Members, some unhappy with the scope of the tax increases, others uncertain of the bill’s details, treated a Senate plan to fill the state’s budget hole like a bad piece of meat.
“The bill that came over from the Senate was like meat on a table. The long it was out there, the more it stunk,” said Wichita Republican Jim Ward.
The Senate’s $423 million bill contained an increase in the state sales tax, an increase in the cigarette tax and other increases. Increases some found hard to accept.
At least two dozen House Members have signed the Natiional “no tax increase” pledge from the group Americans for Tax Reform. Another major problem was the size and scope of the bill.
Some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle wanted time to read a large bill.
“And that the opportunity to look at a bill that is 600 pages in length ,” said House Minority Leader Tom Burroughs.
“Many of these components are new. Some members want some time to learn what they do ” add Majority Leader Jene Vickery.
Another sign of the deadlock and the struggle was the cancellation of the GOP planning session that was scheduled to take place right before an early evening session.
That was scrubbed. Then the House convened briefly to officially close for the day.
The House resumes work at 10am Tuesday, setting a new record, the 110th day of the 2015 session.